His true wife
by animexmanga23
Summary: Howl was married, and even had a child. But she disappeared. So why does a girl he just met remind him so much of her?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Howl's Moving Castle.**

" Run Howl! Protect our son. I'll meet you as soon as I finish him off!" Gladys, Howl's wife yelled. He nodded, picked up his son and ran to a secret place, where only he and Gladys knew. And there he waited, for her to fulfill her promise. But she did not. She never met him after the battle.


	2. Chapter 2

Sophie Hatter threw down the hat. She was bored. "I know! I'll go visit Lettie!" She smiled. She had joined them only four years ago, and yet now, she was so close to them, it was as if she had been with them for her whole life. Her smile faded. Yes, it was a joyous thing when she joined them. Of course, there was some changing done. However, she missed her old family. "Howl… I hope that you and our son are well." she whispered. However, she dared not put them at risk. Not until she seeked out and destroyed the man who attacked them last time. He had managed to escape, and even managed to place a curse on her. She looked sadly at her appearance. Nothing like her old self. Last time, she was a vision. Now, she looked so dull. Nobody would ever think she was Gladys. Not even Howl, she reckoned. It was still comforting to hear the rumors of Howl, even though they made him sound so scary. It proved that he was still alive and kicking, at least. The curse also prevented her from telling others. And she has no idea what the remedy is to the curse. Oh well, things could be worse. At least she still had her memories.

She trotted down the lane and went into a narrow lane, according to the directions Lettie drew for her. Her sense of direction was not that good and pretty soon, she was quite sure she was lost. She wandered around, trying to find an exit when she faced a chest. She looked up and saw a soldier. "Hey look! A mouse. Want to go for a drink?" He leered. Sophie unintentionally took a step back. " Move now, or you'll regret it." She threatened in a low voice. "Aw, don't be like that, honey." He purred. Goosebumps were raised on her arms, and she shuddered. "Are you …" she said, only to be interrupted by a low melodious voice. "There you are sweetheart. I've been looking all over for you.


	3. Chapter 3

Sophie turned. There he stood, in all his finery, and that statement earring hanging down his right ear. He had not changed a single way. Well, except for the hair. The last time she saw, it was black. Instead, it was now blonde. "Hey, we have some business with her." One of the soldiers snapped, looking displeased. "Really? Funny, I thought your business here was over." Howl flicked one of his fingers, and the soldiers stood straight. He moved his finger sideways and the soldiers marched. "What's going on?" They seemed to be shocked. I wanted to giggle. "Don't take it to heart. They're harmless. Now, where to?" He smiled charmingly. I felt like I was drowning in those crystal blue eyes of his question, I started and replied hastily, " I'm heading to Caesari. It's okay. I can find my way there." "Don't panic, but I'm being followed. Just follow me, alright?" He whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

He pulled me along an alley, twisting here and there. I was soon aware of… things following us. Soon, they started appearing in front of us as well. Howl turned into a corner sharply, causing the two sets of blob monsters, at least, that was what they looked like to me, to collide. But that didn't stop them. Howl ran, and suddenly, before we hit the wall (for it was a dead end), he jumped. "Now stretch out your legs and walk." He instructed. I obediently followed. Oh, how I missed this. This was one of the ways he used to woo me. He would take me walking through the sky and get to our destination without having to fight the throngs of people. Soon, too soon, we reached our destination. He set me gently onto the second floor and said," I'll wait here for a bit if I were you." "Okay." I replied. "That's my good girl!" He smiled and jumped off the ledge. I rushed to see him, but he already disappeared. I sighed.

Lettie soon came up. "What happened? Someone told me that you just floated here. Onto the second floor!" She urgently asked. "So it wasn't a dream." I sighed. It felt like one too me. Seeing Howl again… "You have to be more careful, Sophie! That man could be the wizard Howl! He'll eat your heart out!" I wanted to laugh. She didn't know how accurate she was! Except for eating hearts. "He won't eat mine. I'm not exactly the definition of beauty." I shrugged her comment off. "Yeah. He was only using me for a diversion. He can't know that it was me." I sighed again, as reality set back in.


	4. Chapter 4

I walked back to the hat shop, mulling over what Lettie had said. "Sophie, do something for yourself, okay? Don't always do things for the family." Not that I was her _real _family. It was still kind of sweet. I giggled. If only they knew. In a way, the hat shop was a perfect all, I never was a fan of hats. Constantly blocking my view with those horrid feathers, and the ornaments! They kept dropping off! It was only with my magic that they even stuck to the hat! I soon reached the hat shop. I entered, locking the door behind me, and was about to settle down in front of the mirror and try to remove the spell. Again.

"Ring!" The bell door clang. I turned, a frown on my face, and saw this ginormous woman, wearing the biggest hat I have ever seen. "I'm sorry, but we're closed for the night." I greeted her cooly. " It's strange. I distinctly remember locking that door." I mused to myself. "What a tacky little hat shop. But you, by far, are the tackiest thing in this room!" She smirked. I bristled. Nobody ever calls me tacky! I stiffly walked to the door and held it open. Crackle. I sensed it. There was a slight presence of magic around the doorknob. That must be it! She must have used magic to open the door! But for what purpose? Surely not to insult me? I have never even seen her before. Unless… unless she's under a disguise! She could be the person who attacked me and my family! I decided to wait and see. For protection, I encompassed myself within a barrier. Nothing could attack me. I held the door open.

"Now if you don't mine, please leave." "Hmph. You sure have guts. Standing up to the Witch of the Waste!" I gasped. I turned to the door, only to find two of those blob monsters peering within. So they were hers? Well, at least she was not the person who was hunting us. They hated anything ugly. And those things were beyond ugly. But why would she come here? Could it be? Is she hunting Howl? Jeez, what did he do to anger her? She leered at me, becoming bigger, and suddenly zoomed forward, seeming to want to hug me. In natural defense, I put up my arms for protection, forgetting about the barrier.

"Send my regards to… Why are you not changed?" She demanded, her eyes wide in shock at my apparent lack of change in appearance. What kind of spell was she trying to inflict on me? She studied me carefully. "So it would seem that you are no ordinary girl. You have a barrier surrounding you, making it impossible for me to cast a spell on you. How very interesting." She purred. I could only think of one thing. RUN! I ran away from her, going through the back door. I could hear her ordering her lackeys to chase me, but I was a step ahead of her. I had cast a spell behind me, making me untraceable. So basically, she would not be able to track me, no matter what she do. I ran and ran, right until I reached the edge of the waste. Goodness! I never knew I could run that fast. I decided to just lay down on the ground and rest.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, Sophie decided to just wander around the waste, finding a suitable dwelling place. She obviously could not go back to the hat shop. The witch knew about that now. She was confident she would not harm the workers, but just in case, she had cast a spell around the building, preventing any curses from working. In other words, only those with harmless intentions may enter. Those with ill intents will just find themselves walking away from the shop.

As she wandered round the waste, she came upon this stick. Sensing some magical aura around it, Sophie cautiously went to it and pulled it, only to find a scarecrow. A scarecrow that could stand upright without support and that could hop. It was obvious that it was under a curse. Unfortunately, she could not tell how to break it. "Scarecrow. Yick. I've always hated them." She muttered.

She left it there, and continued her search. After searching for two days, she was forced to conclude that the waste was incapable of providing her with shelter. She sighed. It would seem that she had no choice but to go back to town. She made up her mind. She was not going to go back to Porthaven. She would be going to Kingsbury.


	6. Chapter 6

Sophie was amazed by the redness of Kingsbury. It was the capital, with the Royal Palace right at the heart. She stumbled a bit, only to find herself supported by a pair of strong hands. She looked up and found it was Howl! Howl looked surprised, before flashing a blinding smile and said, "So we meet again." Sophie was about to answer, when she suddenly felt light-headed. Blackness engulfed her.

Sophie woke up, finding herself on a chair, in front of a fire. She could hear Howl and a young child's voice talking softly. " She fainted on me! As a gentleman, I brought her back. " "But who is she?" The young voice piped up. "Uhm, gentlemen, the young lady is awake." The fire spoke. Sophie blinked. The FIRE spoke? Howl passed a mug of water to Sophie and asked her kindly," How are you feeling now?" Sophie answered timidly, "Better, thank you. Really sorry about that." She apologized. "No worries." He replied. Sophie look around the house. It was the filthiest she had ever seen. No doubt about it, no woman had ever entered this house. "So, what's the story? Last I saw you, you were at Porthaven." Sophie nodded. She bit her lip. She just did not know where to start. Sighing, she decided to start from when he left her.

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"So you're on the run as well?" The young boy piped. Laughing, Sophie nodded. "That makes the both of you…" Howl cut him off. "Markl, bedtime." The boy scowled, but nevertheless, went to bed. A good thing too. As soon as Sophie heard the name, she froze. Markl. The name of her son. Could that be him? When she last saw him, he was only three. Three years had passed. The boy looked six to seven years. So it could be him. Only one way to find out. " He's cute. Is he your son?" She asked, pretending to be nonchalant about it. He stared at her, his expression curious, before nodding. Although Sophie kept her face emotionless, joy was overspilling her heart. She turned to face the fire, not trusting her self control.

She went to examine the fire. If she concentrated, she could make out the eyes of the fire. "Sophie, was it?" Howl asked, breaking her concentration. She turned to face him. "I have a proposition. I'll allow you to stay here. In return, you'll be the housekeeper. Does that sound fair?" Sophie thought about it. Well, it was better than wandering around. She nodded. "Deal."

(Just in case you're wondering why she fainted, put it this way. She was wandering for about three days without food. Even if she's a witch, she can't survive for long)


	7. Chapter 7

Sophie soon settled in. For the first week, she had swept the entire place, and almost killed Calcifer, when she forgot to provide him with logs while sweeping the ashes away. Luckily, Howl had saved him in the nick of time. After finally being done with the ground floor, she moved to the next floor. Markl had tried to stop her, but gave up and went to rescue the things he wanted in his room before she went to clean his room. "First stop, the bathroom." Sophie muttered to herself.

She opened the bathroom door, only to close it again. "What in blazes?" She shrieked mentally. Cautiously, she opened the door, and was greeted by the horrifying stench of it, and the amount of things to be washed! Sophie had the feeling if she bothered to count, she would be a wrinkled old lady by the time she finished. It looked like it had not been cleaned for three years straight. Sighing, she started with the bathtub…

She was done! Sophie was finally done with the bathroom. She pushed open the window to let fresh air in, and received a pleasant shock when she looked out of it. The castle was moving. Excited, she ran down and asked Calcifer. "Calcifer! Are you moving the castle?" "Of course. I'm the only one around here who does work." "It's amazing! I like your spark!" Praised Sophie before running up the stairs again. This time, she ran to the third floor and pushed against a door, running into a balcony to admire the view. Markl soon joined her, curious to see what had captured her interest so much. "This is amazing!" exclaimed Sophie. "What's that?" asked Markl, catching sight of a pole sticking upside down. Sophie had no idea, and went to pull it out. It was the scarecrow! "Seems like he's taken a liking for me." Observed Sophie. Markl looked at her suspiciously. "Are you a witch?" Sophie wanted to tease him, so she said, "Why, yes! I'm the worst kind there is out there. The kind that CLEANS!" There was a mischievous sparkle in her eyes, so Markl did not know whether to believe or not.

Sophie soon finished cleaning the second floor. Feeling like taking a break from the cleaning, she decided to start on the laundry. The scarecrow was more than willing to help, so she did not have much to do. Instead, she just sat out with Markl, watching the scarecrow hop around with the laundry and admiring the scenery. Calcifer was happy to stop the castle for them, mainly due to the fact that Sophie had praised him. "He must be a demon." Stated Markl, observing how the scarecrow could move without help. "No, he's just an unlucky man who got cursed." Sighed Sophie. The laundry was soon dry, and the trio went back to the castle.

The next day, Sophie decided to go out to buy breakfast. Markl accompanied her, wanting to see what the market was like. Sophie managed to pick up some vegetables, a dozen eggs, a few pieces of bacon and a magnificent carp for lunch. They got back to the castle, and while Sophie went to put away the food and cook breakfast, Markl went to set the table. "AAIIYEEEEEEEE!" Someone screamed from upstairs, scaring the poor occupants out of their lives. Howl came running down, pulling at his hair. "What has that woman done to my bathroom?" He yelled. "I didn't do anything, save cleaning it up!" Sophie defended herself. "Cleaned it up? You messed with my spells!" He sat on the stool in front of Calcifer and buried his head in his hands. "Now I look hideous." Sophie watched the scene with amazement. Although it was exactly the same as last time, she had expected him to mature a bit, what with a kid to look after. It looked like he had not changed a bit. No doubt about it, soon, he would cover the whole room with slime again. True enough…

He started to ooze out slime again. Luckily, Sophie had anticipated it and had already pushed Howl to the steps and obtained the help of Markl to support him up the steps, and Markl had kindly offered to clean up Howl. So Calcifer at least, did not have to worry about being extinguished by the slime, and she had less to clean up if she had just left him alone. After Markl had come down and assured Sophie that Howl was alright, and that he was just resting in bed, Sophie continued to make breakfast for Markl, and gave the egg shells to Calcifer, she warmed up a glass of milk and went to deliver it to Howl. She knew that he was fond of milk.

Knocking on the door, she gently pushed open the door and went to stand beside the bed. "Howl, I've warmed some milk. Would you like to drink it?" She asked. He shook his head, but asked her to sit down. Ting-a-ling! A tinkling sound was made by a device hanging above the bed. Howl opened his eyes and groaned. "The witch of the waste is hunting me." "What did you do to make her want to hunt you?" Blurted Sophie. "She was once beautiful, and appeared four years ago. Thinking that she could be someone dear, I pursued her, only to find that she was not." Sophie was still. Could it be that he had not gotten over her? That he was also looking for her? Sophie's heart felt like it would break, for causing him so much pain. "I have to go to the palace. As Pendragon and Jenkins." Sophie remembered seeing two officials coming to the door, and mentioned the two names. She gathered that he was under the two aliases. "If you hate going, can you not go?" Howl shook his head, and pointed at a dartboard, with a message that read "I will report to the palace when summoned." Multiple sharp things were dangling from it. Howl obviously regretted making that vow. Sophie remembered that she had pledged that vow too. She wondered idly how they were going to send her the letter to report to the palace if they did not know where she was living. Frankly, she did not even know if they had written her off the list of wizards and witches to contact. After all, she did even complete her training.

"Is there no way to get out of it?" She asked. She remembered that her mo… she could not bring herself to say it still, Madame Suliman was still most likely the head sorcerer, and she and Howl had hated each other's guts. Though she did often grudgingly admit that Howl was the finest wizard she had ever seen. Howl abruptly leapt out of bed, a big smile on his face. "I've got it! You can go to the palace as my mum and tell Madame Suliman that your son, meaning me, is too much of a coward and will be useless for the war!" Sophie was dumbstruck. She did not know whether to cry or laugh. Who comes up with an idea like that? So many things could go wrong! "Uhm, Howl, I don't think the plan will work." "Why not?" He asked impatiently. "For starters, I'm not old. Why can't I go as your sister? Or cousin?" She asked desperately. "Cause Madame Suliman knows I have no siblings, and a cousin would not know me so well. No. Going as my mum would be the best. Relax. I can give you a charm that would enable you to look like an old lady, and she won't be able to tell." Sophie could not think of any other reason to reject.

"Are you going out with that hat?" Howl asked. "After everything I did to make your dress pretty?" Sophie sent him a glare and marched to the door. As she opened the door, red dial down, Howl was at her ear, whispering, " Don't worry. I'll be following you. Good luck." and he pushed her out of the house. She looked at the ring he gave her and sighed. "This is never going to work."


	8. Chapter 8

Hey peeps! Sorry for not updating in a looooooooonnggg time. I had like, school- it started a week early, and church camp and stuff. It was fun! ^^ Anyway, since, like, school started, I decided to focus on one story. So I'll finish Howl's moving castle, then the next one is your guys calls. Please decide whether you want Inuyasha first, or Maid sama. Till next time!


	9. Chapter 9

She walked to the Palace, entertaining herself with thoughts of what Howl would be transforming into as he followed her. She soon entered the square. Walking forward, she spotted her mother's dog, Heen. No doubt Madame Suliman had sent him to guide her. Another companion joined her soon.

"Well well well. If it isn't that tacky girl from the hotshot." The Witch of the Waste commented in a dry voice. "Fancy seeing you here. What business do you have?" "Job hunting. I'm tired of doing hats. I want a change of scenery." Sophie lied. "What about you?" "That idiot Suliman finally realized how much she needs my help for the war." She sneered. Soon, they reached the stairs. The two blob men carrying the coach disintegrated as soon as they tried to step on the stairs. "I'm sorry. but vehicles are forbidden from this point onwards." A guard said, not sounding apologetic at all. Sophie could understand why the witch wanted to not climb. God knows how many steps they had to climb before reaching the top. She heaved a sigh and started. Of course, she had to lug the dog as well. And goodness, was he heavy! She heaved him step by step. After what felt like an eternity, she finally reached the top.

She looked down, catching her breath, only to see the Witch of the Waste struggling, sweat pouring down her face. "Why don't you just give up? You're killing yourself." Sophie called out. She could not help but feel pity for the lady. "I waited for fifty years to be invited back. I refuse to back down!" The witch yelled. Sophie could not take it. She knew the guards were forbidden from helping people climb the steps. "Whoever came up with that rule is an idiot." She muttered. She ran down to help her up. Panting, they soon got to the top. The witch appeared so tired and old, nothing like her former looks. Sophie was amazed at the transformation. They both entered the grand hall. Sophie looked around. The witch, upon seeing a chair in the centre of the hall, rushed to it and sank her exhausted limbs. Sophie on the other hand, followed Heen, who brought her to a side door, where a page greeted her and brought her to the indoor garden, where her mo… no, where Madame Suliman was waiting.

Sophie prayed that her eyes would not be sharp to detect the charm, even though it was rather cunningly hidden. She cautiously walked to the empty seat opposite her, and sat down, as ladylike as she could. "I take it Howl's not coming, Mrs Pendragon?" Madame Suliman casually asked. Sophie nodded. She sighed, hamming it up. "I'm afraid he's so lazy. He sent me instead. I suggest you give up all hope of trying to recruit him.", reciting the lines she was told. She hoped beyond hope that she would drop the matter. And of course, it did not come true.

Madame Suliman sighed. "A pity. That boy was the last apprentice I took. Never before I have seen such power. Unfortunately, he lost his heart, and never returned to complete his apprenticeship. Mrs Pendragon, he is dangerous. He has, from what I heard, lost his heart to a demon. If he comes to help, I'l help him escape from the demon. But if he doesn't, I shall have no other choice but to strip him of his powers, like with the Witch of the Waste." A wheelchair was brought forward, and Sophie got the shock of her life. The Witch, who was so beautiful, looked haggard. She simply could not believe it was her.


	10. Chapter 10

"What have you done to her?" Sophie cried out, horrified. She had heard tales of wizards and witches who lost their power, but this was the first time she saw it on hand. She could not believe that_ she _would do something like this to the Witch of the Waste. It was… inhuman.

"I merely stripped her of her powers and changed her back. This is the fate that awaits Howl if he does not come and serve His Majesty." Madame Suliman spoke in a cold voice. Something inside Sophie snapped. "Now I see why he didn't want to come here. Howl is more powerful than you think. He will find a way to break free from his demon. I'm sure of it." Sophie said confidently, though she did wonder who the demon was. Could it be Calcifer? He was not there the last time.

Madame Suliman smirked. The Witch of the Waste, upon hearing Howl's name, started clutching Sophie's skirt and urgently said," Howl? He's here? Give me his heart. His heart! It belongs to me!" "Calm down. He's not coming." Sophie soothingly said, trying to pacify the old witch. "Oh. He'll come, Mrs Pendragon." Madame Suliman said in an eerie voice, sending shivers down Sophie's spine. She paled. She couldn't know, could she?

At that moment, someone landed a portaplane beside the indoor garden. A page went to open the door. A man entered, wearing the army uniform. Sophie gathered he must be someone important, being able to visit the sorcerer at any time. "Good day, Your Majesty." Madame Suliman bowed her head. "As you were." He waved his hand dismissively. "You have guests?" He turned to face Sophie. "Let me introduce you to Mrs Pendragon, Howl's mother." Madame Suliman said in a courteous voice. His Majesty grunted, and marched towards her. "I'm sorry, but I will not require your son's services. I've decided to not depend on magic for the war. It just seems to harm the people. The bombs are now dropping on people's home. That's the problem with magic, isn't it?" He called back at Madame Suliman. She smiled a small smile. "How eloquent you are today, Your Majesty."

Suddenly, another man walked in. Sophie got a shock. He looked exactly like His Majesty. Howl would not be so foolish as to, imitate His Majesty, right? Sophie was unsure. It seemed something like he would do. After all, why would she be there then?

"Suliman! I've got a new plan! It'll knock the socks off the enemy!" He caught sight of his double. "That's the best double you've made of me yet! Keep up the good work!" He yelled, before rushing out of the room, calling for an emergency meeting. An awkward moment passed. "Nice to see you again, Howl. You're looking fine." Madame Suliman decided to break the ice. "As to you." Howl replied in a courteous voice. And under his breath he muttered "Nice to see you haven't kicked the bucket." sarcastically. Only Sophie heard him. "Poor disguise this time. I've taught you better, haven't I?" Suliman asked. "I'm not here to run away. I've obeyed the order, and reported to the palace. Now _mother _and I will be leaving." He said scathingly, putting his arm round Sophie. Madame Suliman only smirked. "I think it's time your mother changes back." She raised her staff and brought it to the floor with an almighty crash. Water gushed out. Sophie eyes widened in fear. She was terrified of water. "No!" She screamed, and instinctively raised her hands. Swirls of fire shot out of her hands. The room turned back to normal. The water disappeared. And Sophie was standing in her original form, as Gladys.

**Sorry for the short chapters! It's just that I couldn't resist stopping it there! ^^ Pls rate and review**


	11. Chapter 11

Howl was shocked. No wonder she seemed so familiar! Why did she not say something, anything? He spent, what, four years searching for her, and when she came back, she did not say anything? He felt indignant rising in his chest. She could have at least dropped some hints! If it was not for Madame Suliman, how long would he have to wait until he finally learnt the truth?

"So, my darling girl, you finally reported to the palace. How nice to finally see you again. How have you been?" Madame Suliman asked in a gracious tone. Gladys/Sophie, however, knew that her mo… mother was gloating. There. She finally admitted it. Madame Suliman was her mother. And she hated that very fact. If she could, she would have sucked out her mother's blood, which runs in her veins. But one cannot choose one's parents.

So she chose the next best thing. To rebel. She rebelled against her mum, almost over everything. Be it studies, dressing, you name it, she had probably argued over it with her mum. And then, when she was thirteen, she met Howl, fifteen then. It was love at first sight for both of them. And of course, as fate would have it, her mum disapproved of it. She and Howl could not stand the separation, so they eloped, neither finishing the training. A year later, they were finally a complete family. But someone came, and changed all of that.

"Well, have you been well? I guess not, seeing that you managed to get cursed." Madame Suliman cooly said. "We _were _fine, no thanks to you." Gladys bitterly said, somehow managing to gather that she was behind her curse from that statement. She knew her mother well. She was now sure that her mum must have sent that person after them.

"Very smart. You could tell?" Madame Suliman grinned. She could hear the implying message Gladys delivered in her reply. This daughter-mother pair sure was something. "And here I thought I could get away with it. Oh well, since there were eye-witnesses, isn't it right to get rid of them?" With this, Madame Suliman transformed into the man Gladys swore she would never forget.

Gladys was shocked. Although she knew that her mum was somehow involved, she never knew that she was literally involved in it. She staggered backwards, shock evident on her face. No matter how much she loathed her mother in the past, it was nothing compared to the fury she felt then.

"You… You monster!" She screamed. An energy ball formed at her hands and she hurled it at her mother. Her mum ducked it agilely, for an elderly woman, and hurled one back. That one destroyed half the plants when Gladys ducked it. Her one made a hole in the glass wall. Gladys retaliated, throwing spears of fire at Madame Suliman randomly. Yet she somehow evaded all. Sophie did not know whether to scream or applaud her. She certainly was quick on her feet.

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Gladys could not keep it up much longer. Her stamina was wearing thin. At the corner of her eyes, she saw her mum charging another ball. However, as she prepared to retaliate, her mum did something she did not expect. her mum made a last minute decision and hurled the ball towards Howl. Howl was not prepared, and would be hit. Gladys mustered up her strength and ran forward, placing herself in front of him and pushed back the sphere. It bounded back towards Suliman. Grabbing this chance, Gladys grabbed Howl's hand and the Witch of the Waste's, and uttered a transporting spell. In a blink of an eye, they were back in Howl's home. Gladys was so tired. She swayed, and would have crashed to the floor if Howl had not caught her. She yawned, and close her eyes, entering slumber land.


	12. Chapter 12

When Gladys woke up, she started. She was in Howl's room. How did she get there? She looked down and saw she was no longer herself. Was yesterday all but a dream? She could not help but be sad. But why was she in Howl's room? Disturbed, she made her way down, where Howl, Markl and the Witch of the Waste were seated round the table, having breakfast. "Good morning! How was your sleep?" Howl asked nonchalantly. "Fi…fine… " Gladys stammered out. Breakfast was soon over, and Howl gathered everyone. "Okay, guys! An important announcement! We're moving!" Gladys was surprised. What's with the sudden idea? Was he running away from something? Was her mum trying to find them or something? He quickly prepared for his spell. The scarecrow waited outside, as his spell would interfere with Howl's spell. Howl was finally prepared for the moving, after drawing a sign on the floor and picked up Calcifer. "Ready?" He asked. "Be gentle." Calcifer's voice wavered. He was afraid, as the spell would be draining. "On my mark. " Howl raised his right hand, and Calcifer started glowing white, and then suddenly shot up. Gladys was shocked. She had never seen this kind of magic. Her mum's words suddenly rang in her head. "He has, from what I heard, lost his heart to a demon." Gladys was worried. If she was right, then Calcifer was most likely the demon who holds Howl's heart.

The moving was complete. Markl was amazed. The house was bigger than last time, and there was a new room. He went to explore the new house. Gladys' attention was directed to Howl, who monitored for her to follow him. "I have a present. See that new colour on the dial?" She nodded. He swung it open.

**Sorry it's short. But I wanted to end at a cliffhanger! Don't worry. The rest will appear. And hopefully longer too. ;D**


	13. Chapter 13

Gladys gasped in surprise. Tears pricked at her eyes. She had never thought she would see the place again. It was his and her special place. She slowly stepped out of the door and into the field.

_"Howl! Can I open my eyes now?" Gladys asked, her face in a pout. Her eyes were covered by a piece of cloth, and she could not see much. She felt powerless, and when she feels so, she was usually jumpy. A deep rumble of laughter rang out. "Not yet, but soon. Hold onto my hand." Gladys grasped onto his hand tightly and followed him. When she was with him, all feelings of powerlessness disappeared. She felt safe with him. Grinning, she let out a tinkling laugh. "Where are we going?" She asked, curious. "You'll see." Was the mysterious reply. _

_A sweet aroma caressed Gladys' nose. She breathed in deeply, falling in love with the scent. It was the scent of freesias, lilacs and something else, many others, but she could not quite recall. Howl slowly pulled her, and gently pushed her down, setting her on a picnic mat. He finally undid the knot, revealing his little surprise. Gladys stared. There was nothing. Howl waved his hand and she gasped and her eyes shone with happiness. A small picnic was set, consisting mainly of her favorites, like salad, chicken sandwiches and sweets. Lots and lots of them. "Howl…" She was speechless. This must be the sweetest thing he had ever done. They passed the evening in peace, making small talk every now and then. When they had eaten their fill, Howl waved a hand, removing the cutleries. They then simply sat down and stared at the sky, pointing out constellations. Midnight approached, and Gladys shivered slightly, as a cold wind blew past. Instantly, a cloak went round her. She pulled it closer, grateful for the warmth it brought. "Gladys, look at the stars." Howl whispered in her ears. She did so, and gasped. Somehow, the stars have arranged themselves and spelt out "Will you marry me?" _

_She turned to Howl, only to find him kneeling on a bended knee. He gently took hold of one of her hands and kissed it, like a gentleman. He gazed into her eyes and said in a clear voice, "Gladys, I promise to love you for all eternity, even beyond our deaths. Will you grant to me the honor of being your one and only?" As an answer, she threw her arms around his neck, tears leaking down her face. "Yes!" She whispered in his ear. She suddenly felt a heavy weight on her third finger on her left hand, and pulling her hand to her eyes, she saw a ring, where tiny diamonds- glittering like the stars above- surrounded a blue-green heart-shaped stone. Her breath hitched. It was so unearthly beautiful! _

_He swept her into his arms and spun around, exuberant at her reply. Their laughter mingled, and she felt life could not get any better. _


	14. Chapter 14

She slowly walked out of the door and into the meadow. It had not changes a single bit. The same flowers were blooming, and the same house, where Howl spent his childhood, where they escaped to when life in the moving castle became stuffy, was right where it stood the last time.

She skipped out and spun around, trying to take in the scenery. "Thank you Howl!" She said breathlessly. "Thank me? For what? This was yours to begin with, Gladys…" He said, encircling her waist. She froze. so it wasn't a dream…

"What's wrong?" He asked, noticing the tension. "What… did you just call me?" She whispered. He spun her round, stared into her eyes and said in a firm tone, " I called you Gladys."

She felt light-headed. She knew what was going to happen next. "Why didn't you tell me?" He asked. And there it was. The question she all but dreaded, yet knew she could not evade. She took in a deep breath. "I… wasn'." She said in a rush. Howl stared at her blankly. "Repeat that slower, please." "I wasn't going to tell anyone till I could find the person who harmed us." She repeated, pronouncing each word distinctly. "You could still have told me. I could've helped you!" He argued back hotly. "All these years, I was trying to find you. And all you had to do was just contact me, Gladys…"

Something snapped. "Gladys… Stop saying Gladys!" She screamed. She wrenched herself out of Howl's embrace. "I'm no longer her! I'm not her anymore!" "Gladys…" Howl was speechless. Gladys, now enraged, stormed, "I'm not her anymore! Stop saying that name! Look at me! I'm no longer the old self! I'm stuck in this plain body, so much so that even my own husband could not recognize me at first glance! Look at me, and tell me if you could love me still. Gladys is dead! She has ceased to exist!" She sobbed, whispering the last part.

Howl was dumbstruck. He could not start to imagine the trials she had to go through. He suddenly felt guilty, not being able to empathize with her. "Gladys, it's fine. No matter what happens, I still love you. Remember our vows? I promised to love you, no matter what happens. And I do. No matter what happens, even if you're crippled, blind, ugly… I will always love you." Saying this, he passionately kissed her, a hand in her long hair, the other encircling her.

Gladys struggled a bit before sinking into the kiss. A white mist started swirling around her, starting from her feet. As it rose, she changed. She changed back to her real self.

They broke the kiss, both breathing heavily. Howl's eyes widened with surprise. "Gladys! You're back to your old self!" He said excitedly. Gladys was confused. She looked down, and her eyes widened. "Impossible." She breathed as she examined her long delicate fingers. "The curse should not have lifted unless she performs the spell to dispel it."

"Well, regardless, you're back to your old self. So it should be fine to call you Gladys, right?" Howl asked in a teasing voice, a sparkle in his eyes. Gladys threw her arms round Howl, smiling. "As long as you like. As long as you like."


	15. Chapter 15

They would have continued staying in that position, except something came. They both turned their heads to see what was making that awful sound. It was one of the war-crafts. Howl glared furiously at it, and was just about to wave his hand and perform some magic to cause the machinery to undergo some damages, when Gladys raised a hand and gestured to herself, indicating to let her have a go. Howl raised an eyebrow, but stepped back to allow her to perform her magic. She raised her hands and uttered a low incantation. The plane suddenly did a few twirls, then hanging upside-down, before having its arms shrivel up, causing the plane to collapse.

Howl was amazed. The Gladys he knew never had that much power. Gladys, on the other hand, was delighted. When she was under the curse, she had practiced her magic, upgrading it, as one would put it. Finally, she had mastered transfiguration, transportation, manipulation, and many more. She was now on par with her mom's best student, Howl, but not as good as her mom still. She laughed excitedly. And when the monsters, or her mom's minions, crawled out of the wreck, she smirked.

"Come on. I think it's best to get away before they come after us." Howl said, tugging gently on Gladys' hand. She willingly followed him, and re-entered the moving castle. They were sitting on the love-seat, staring into each other's eyes and being in their own little world, when Markl ran in after exploring the hat shop Howl moved into. He stopped short when he saw a strange lady, one he had never met, yet felt as though he knows her from somewhere, that she was a very important person. He just did not know who.

"Who is she? Where's Sophie?" He asked. Howl stood up and announced, "Markl, this is your mom. As for Sophie, well, it's a looonggg story…"

.

.

.

Markl could not believe it. Who could? His grandma cursed her daughter, his mom, and she was Sophie… Ugh. It hurts just to think about it. "Markl," Gladys spoke gently. "I know this may be sudden, but I am your mom, and am Sophie. Even if I do not look like her anymore, I am still the same inside."

Markl stared at her, looking up and down, and all of a sudden, hugged her around the knees. Gladys felt tears forming in her eyes. She bent down and hugged her son that she missed so much tightly.

**Reunion! Sorry for the short chap! Promise to try making them longer...**


	16. Chapter 16

The next few days were pure bliss. True, the war was still going on, but at least they were a complete family. Gladys now ran the newly set-upped flower shop with Markl while Howl went out to run some errands and evaluate the situation. However, something felt wrong. Gladys was still disturbed by what her mom had said. What did she mean when she said Howl's heart was lost? How did he lose it? These questions kept buzzing around her head, refusing to let her rest. Did Calcifer have something to do with this? She was determined to get her husband's heart back.

One day, when Howl was out and the shop did not have many customers, she decided to have a little chat with Calcifer.

"Calcifer, where were you before you met Howl?" She enquired. He cracked open an eye and regarded her cautiously. "I was in the sky, dancing around with my friends." He said wistfully. Gladys was dumbfounded. In the sky… "Does that mean you were a star?" she blurted. Calcifer smiled and said, "You're bright! Yep. I was a star. A falling star to be precise. Howl caught me about three years ago and felling pity, offered a trade. An irresistible trade, at that time. But it just seems to be a load of trouble now though." He sighed. Gladys thought hard over what she just learnt. So Howl made a trade with Calcifer… What was in the trade? His heart? Howl wouldn't, would he? Gladys was not sure. As much as he was a brilliant wizard, he was too kind. There was nothing wrong with being kind, but surely one had to draw a line, right?

"A trade with a demon is the most awful thing a wizard can do… offered an item that the demon does not have…" Her books had taught her. It was crystal clear to her now. Howl had made a deal with Calcifer, and it certainly involved his heart.

Gladys had a new mission. She was going to find a way to get Howl's heart back, no matter what it takes.


	17. Chapter 17

Gladys was incredibly tired. Ever since finding out the terms of the treaty, she had spent every waking moment she could spare pouring over her books, trying to find a way to get Howl's heart back from Calcifer, yet not harming anyone. So far, zilch. Her books were of no help. It just said how dangerous it was to make such a deal, but nothing on how to reverse it. She was starting to lose hope and beginning to believe that nothing would work.

One day, she was absentmindedly washing the house when a tremor shook throughout the house. Gladys immediately went to check if everyone was fine. She then proceeded to venture outside the house to check the current situation, as Howl was out. What she saw made her cry out. Houses were burning and people were running. It was pandemoniac. An army of blob men were limping towards her. She instantly recognized them as her mom's henchmen. She quickly ran back into the house, but they followed her, their arms reaching out to grab her. She fired a fireball, destroying a few, but more followed. She started to panic. How was she going to defeat all and remain unscathed? "Fireball!" She cried, incinerating all. The blob men melted, only to start regenerating. Gladys was getting tired. If the battle dragged on any longer, she doubted she could defeat them.

Slash. A wave of pain rippled through her body. "Who…" She thought as she turned to glare at the culprit. "Who would be so cowardly as to attack from behind?"

There stood, in all her finery, the last person she wanted to meet.

.

.

.

"You…" Gladys did not know how to react. After so many days of peace, she had thought that her mom had given up and would leave them in peace. Looks like it was not true. It would appear that she used the time to build an army instead. "Yes, my charming daughter, it's me." She smiled eerily.

Two blob men grabbed her by the arms. Gladys struggled to get free, but was unable to. Great. What's going to happen to her now?


	18. Chapter 18

"Well, I was expecting a better fight from you, child. Pity. It seems that the battle is already over." Madame Suliman said, sounding bored. Gladys struggled with her captors, but either she wasted too much energy, or they were very strong, but she could not break free. She watched her mum raise a hand and gave a signal. She squeezed her eyes shut, anticipating the attack. A minute passed, yet nothing happened. She peeked out, curious as to why nothing was happening.

All she saw was that the blob men had frozen and her mum had a look of pure shock. The blob men next to her suddenly shattered, and two warm big hands replaced the cold ones. She looked up to see Howl standing there, a look of fury on his face.

He smiled coldly. "to what pleasure do I owe for having you over, mother-in-law?" He asked in a falsely cheery voice.

Madame Suliman had a sour look on her face. "If it isn't my horrible son-in-law." She said drily.

"Indeed. And why are you attacking my wife?"

She didn't answer. All of a sudden, she was enveloped in smoke. When the smoke cleared up, she had disappeared. Howl swore. Gladys was trembling. What had just happened? A letter floated down. Gladys picked it up and read, her brow furrowing.

"Dear Howl,

Don't think this is over. I will not let my daughter be married to a heartless man.

Madame Suliman."

What was she? An object? Could her mother not at least asked what she wanted? Gladys felt a bit peeved, as she followed Howl into the house.

'Tighten the security!" He shouted.

Howl was not happy. How could she even think of taking _her _back when he just got her back? He could not, would not, hand her over.

Gladys, on the other hand, was thinking about this issue. "If I don't confront her, this issue would never be resolved. We would keep running away, and would be forever under her shadow. No. I cannot let my family be threatened by her presence. It's time I settled things with her, once and for all."

The next day, Howl went out to settle some business. Gladys decided to take this opportunity to sneak out. However, when she tried to open the front door, she could not open it. She heaved and pulled, but to no avail. "Give it up," Calcifer suddenly said. He opened a lazy eye and continued," Howl cast a spell, and now no one can open it without his permission." Gladys stared mutinously at the door for a few minutes, wondering whether she should blast it down. After contemplating the consequences, she sighed. The door was not the only way out of the place for her. She climbed the steps and opened the door to the master bedroom. She then turned to face the door and with a look of concentration upon her face, uttered an incantation. She slowly opened her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

Her spell worked! She had managed to get the door to open to the Palace! She stepped out and hastened towards the greenhouse, where she knew her mom would be.

Silently, she creeped to the greenhouse. It was silent. "Eh… Is there nobody around?" She thought. Barely did she thought of that when someone clapped a hand around her mouth. She was knocked out. When she came to, she was bound up. She looked around her surroundings. "Woken up?" A voice called. She glanced towards the sound. Yup. It was as she suspected. Her mom. How could she have been so careless? Luckily, the ropes were of mediocre standard, and she managed to free herself from her bonds. She prayed her mom would not notice. "So, did you decide to return home?" Madame Suliman smirked. "What a wise choice. Sticking with Howl would have been such a horrible thing." Hearing her sully Howl's name, Gladys' blood boiled. "Actually, I came here for one sole purpose," Gladys glared at her mom. "it's to seek revenge and settle things. Once and for all."

Saying this, she pulled her hands from behind and shot a binding spell at her mom. Her mom received the full impact and was pushed back. "Yes!" Gladys cheered in her mind.


	19. Chapter 19

Gladys thought she succeeded in binding her mom. However, just as she was about to remove her of her powers, her mom stood up and shot a spell at her. Gladys was shot backwards.

"What…" She thought. Why did her spell not work? Did her mom get stronger?

"Hahaha. You're wondering how I deflected your spell, right?" Madame Suliman laughed. "Well, that kind of low-level spell, of course I'll easily deflect it. Now, be a good girl and stay still and wait for your husband to come."

To Gladys' horror, she felt invisible bonds bind her legs and hands together. No matter how hard she struggled, the bonds would not release her. Instead, they seemed to get tighter! After a few minutes of struggling, she gave up. It was never going to work. Now, at this critical moment, she needed brains, not brawn. Instead, she decided to distract her mom with talk. " So what are you going to do to me?" She asked cooly. Madame Suliman cocked an eye and said," I would have thought it would be obvious. I'm going to use you as bait. To lure Howl." What else? Gladys knew the answer long before. Still, she should delay her mum till she had a plan. "Why?" "I need his power. Also, I have to punish him, for not completing the training. Don't worry, once I'm through with him, it'll be your turn. Maybe I'll even do the same to your son. That way, you'll be a complete family. Just… Not alive!" Madame Suliman threw her head back and cackled.

**Hey pple! Sorry for the super super SUPER long update... and that it's so short... Let's just say I had a lot of things going, writer's block and just finished a large majority of tests. This yr, it's gonna be difficult for me to update, as it's O level yr. So just bear with me, k? Thanks!**


	20. Chapter 20

With her bonds now broken, Gladys silently stood up, taking care not to alert anyone. As best as she could, she signaled to Howl to remain as he was. Years of acting like a playboy did not leave him without skills. He kept a stoic face, giving no indication that he knew of her gaining freedom. Instead, he stared cooly at Madame Suliman. " Frankly, I doubt that they'll say anything. It's not as if you're going to announce to the whole world that you lured me here with the usage of your daughter and are planning to kill me, right? Because that will only just reveal your true colours."

Madame Suliman's face contorted, and she struck at him. " How dare you speak like that to your elder!" She raged. She suddenly smiled, and blithely said, " This won't do. I certainly have to teach you some manners. How about… I know! Let me torture my daughter, right before your very eyes. That ought to teach you to keep your mouth shut."

Gladys quickly cast a spell, causing a double to appear, creating the impression that she was still tied up, and quickly ghosted her way behind her mum, not letting her mum find out. Her mum raised her staff and pointed it at the double. A red ball of flame erupted and hit the double. Of course, being a puppet, it showed no emotions. Her mom did not notice, and continued to shoot it. To play it up, Gladys made a gesture, causing the puppet to fall over.

Madame Suliman smiled victoriously and turned back to Howl, only to find him failing to keep a straight face. You could see he was breaking at the seams trying not to laugh. Madame Suliman was shocked. She did that and he was laughing?! "Why are you laughing?" She raged. Infuriated, she ordered her page boys to bind Howl to the very chair that had sapped the Witch of the Waste.

"Now, if you nicely apologize to me, I might make this less painful for you," She cooed. Howl coldly looked back at her and replied," Never. I will never apologize to you. And I am going to make sure that you will never harm my family again." With that, he snapped the bonds easily, as if it was made of sponge, and fired a ice-ball at Madame Suliman.

**Super sorry for short chap and long time to update. School's been busy...with bad load of writer's block... Anyway, the story is going to reach an end soon... D: Hope you all can bear with it! Sorry! D:**


	21. Chapter 21

Madame Suliman was surprised by this attack, and was even more shocked when she realized she was hit by a paralysis spell from behind. She could only watch helplessly as she was frozen stiff by both spells, and when Gladys and Howl strapped her to the very chair she strapped Howl to. With a look of horror, she realised what was going to happen and started to struggle.

"You can't do this!" She shrieked, an edge of terror to her voice.

Gladys cocked an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? Watch me." She started the charge.

"No! No! NO!" Screamed Madame Suliman. Shadows rose and fell. An eerie music filled the chambers. Light gathered around her body, pulsing, pulsing… before rushing out in all directions. It was a truly magical sight, had it not been that after the show, all that was left of Madame Suliman was a wasted body, that was slowly crumbling into ashes.

Gladys let a tear trickle out of the corner of her eye. She was not entirely sure if it was grief over losing her mum, albeit a rotten one, if she was thankful the ordeal was over or because she felt sorry for her mum and her love for power.

"It's finally over," Howl said, hugging her from behind. His voice held the tiniest hint of sadness and regret.

"Yeah, it's finally over," echoed Gladys. She gripped Howl's hands. Both stared at what was left at Madame Suliman's remains.

After what felt like an eternity, Gladys inclined her head to look at Howl. She let out a smile. "Let's go back. Markl would be wondering. Our family is finally safe."

Howl glanced at her and let out a smile as well. "Yeah. We can finally relax." With that, he stroked Gladys' cheek gently before cupping it and bending down, placing a gentle kiss on her lips.

.

.

Just as things were getting sweet, Howl suddenly clutched his chest in pain.


End file.
